Surface cracks show the Moon is shrinking

Cracks discovered in the surface of the Moon suggest that our nearest
neighbour is shrinking.

Like a deflating balloon, the satellite is contracting as its interior cools, scientists believe.

The discovery was made after a probe captured images of unusual fault lines

The cooling has reduced the radius of the Moon by around 100m in the relatively recent lunar past, evidence indicates.

The discovery was made after a probe captured images of unusual fault lines called "lobate scarps" in the lunar highlands.

Similar cracks were first seen in photos taken near the Moon's equator by astronauts on Apollo missions in the early 1970s.

Fourteen new lobate scarps have now been identified by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft, researchers reported in the journal Science. They were found mainly in the highlands, showing that the lines are globally distributed.